Elder Trevor Cahoon's Mission: Christmas is coming!

Hello family and friends!!!!!!!!!

My new District

WOW another week gone has gone by and this was one of the craziest weeks on my mission so far!!! So many things happened it has been insane! You all seemed to have a great week. I'm so glad it all went well. Yes mom I did get the package- thanks a ton- I loved it sooo much!!!! I'm so glad you had thhose experiences mom and those answers to prayers. Our church is at 11:00 so anytime after that is great!!! I will let you know more details. I cant wait to be able to talk to Tyler and you all- its going to be so GREAT!!!!!!!! I can't wait for CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm super excited you've been doing the #lighttheworld daily tasks. That's way sweet! Austi, Happy Birthday buddy! You are getting so old now man it's so weird!!!!!! I'm amazed how much you have changed since I've been gone. You are turning into a real man!! You're a total stud dude. I'm your biggest fan and I'm rooting you on buddy. Just be the best Austin Scott Cahoon that you can be! I'm grateful to have you as a brother and you definitely are my best friend. I will always remember those times we had together when we were kids. So much fun! You are a great example to those around you so just keep doing what you need to do to become the man you want to be! You are a hard worker and want to improve so keep it up buddy! I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been crazy. Lemme tell you, even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to fit it all into this letter. This week started off great. I mean I found out I got transferred and that was really upsetting but I've seen so many amazing things this week! Last Monday I said bye to my District family- I really miss those preparation days. Camp Hill District pdays ROCKED! I had everyone sign my Justin Bieber poster- it was soooooo funny!!!!!! Tuesday I was in a car ALL DAY!!!! It was sooooo much fun. We talked about memories with other Elders and Sisters and we just had a blast!!!! We laughed the whole way to Pittsburgh!!!! When i got there I went with Elder Bryant and he drove me to Butler. I told him that he was my only friend in this new zone. He told me that he would check up on me and email me which was nice. Then I met my new companions. I'm in another trio- this is my fourth trio!!!! CRAZY!!!! Its been such a BLAST!!!!! SO my companions are Elder Syndergaard (he's been out for 14 1/2 months and I served with him in Pittsburgh) and Elder Andrews (Elder Syndergaard just got done training him so I know how that goes but its all good). E. Andrews is a fun guy and he follows Elder Syndergaard and is super humble.

The van ride from the east to west side of the mission
They all had a blast!

At first I was not looking super forward to the new area. But then a huge miracle exchange happened the next day! I was with Elder Whitehead and Andrews and we did a lot of street contacting- trying to talk to everyone- and by the end of the day we picked up 3 investigators!!!!!!! It was absolutely insane. That has never happened with me before. We were all blown away! We talked to sooo many different people and we shared so many things. We shared the #lighttheworld video with a kid who was looking for the truth and he enjoyed it. I have seen and met a lot of people in the Butler area. My area is about 45 min. from Pittsburgh so I'm back on the West side of the mission and I like it! Maybe we will go to Pitt for a Pday. It is good being in the same stake as the Wexford ward (that's the one with the Jenkins family- I love them!!!). We did service at a place called Katie's Kitchen and it was a lot of fun. We go with the Sisters (by the way, their names are Sister Fenton- been out 3 months and Sister Mackelprang). They are a ton of fun and they drive us around just like all the other Sisters I've served around. Oh, also its snowing here now which is awful. I hate the Pennsylvania snow- it's soooo cold. Thank goodness for the coats and gloves I got from other elders.

We have been running around like mad men. We walk around (we don't have bikes) but I enjoy walking around and talking to people!!! While on exchanges, we got to go on a team up with a member (that means the member joins us when teaching or contacting). We were waiting for him when we struck up a conversation with a lady. We showed her the #lighttheworld video and she really liked it. Her name was Hope and as we began to share the some stuff about the Book of Mormon, Anthony (our team up) turns the corner and joins in the conversation. He then begins to testify of how he is preparing for a mission like us and that he was able to read the BOM and pray about and received a witness from the spirit that it was true. Sweet!!!!!! Hope took the BOM and was willing to take the challenge.

Then had a sweet lesson with another investigator. He had a lot of questions about life before this life and life after death. We were so excited because no one ever has questions thatfit so perfectly into our lessons. We taught him the Plan Of Salvation. He had previously been studying this topic out for himself and a lot of what he had discovered fit into what we were teaching him. It was amazing!!! Powerful testimonies were borne and as we knelt in prayer after the lesson, he asked it he could offer it (which also never happens). So what tender mercies from God I have been given as I first struggled with being transferred!!!!!

We don't see very many of the members who haven't been at church for a while- the sisters stop by and visit them. We usually try and find investigators through the members and by our own efforts. Speaking of which, we talked to this lady on her porch and we shared the #lighttheworld card and a BOM with her. We set up a return appointment as well. :)

The best reunion happened yesterday (Sunday). We went to a stake devotional and I got to see a few people I knew from the Wexford ward. I saw Brother Lubin and that was such a great reunion. It was like seeing family. I told him I missed him and he was so great to me. He started to tear up and gave me about 3 more hugs- such a tender moment. I didn't see the Jenkins family but if I did it would've been amazing!!!!! We drove back home with members and it was a ton of fun!!!!

We were also able to provide service at another place called the Lighthouse. Everyone was nice and we got to meet all sorts of people. Even though the people didn't have a whole lot for "stuff" for Christmas, they still were happy and grateful for what they did have. I have been in some poor areas and have seen people that didn't have much. My mission has really helped me to realize if you want to be happy it's a choice. Being grateful for what you have IN your circumstances (not BECAUSE OF your circumstances) will help you to feel happiness within your heart. A positive attitude will help you to have a love for people and to have a desire to help others. This will bring happiness. The world and what it offers doesn't make people happy. It's temporary pleasure. This is Satan's deceitful way. The world will tell you that the new cool thing is what brings happiness or eating or drinking this or that will make you happy.

I'm glad I'm in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission as it has helped to teach me to live the way God was us to live- to be wise in our everyday decisions and to make a concious effort to keep the commandments. So thank God for the opportunity to change through the Atonement that was made possible by Jesus Christ! I am glad I can change, even if it is hard!

I had some amazing inspiration this week as I was reading in Romans chapter 12. I read in verse 1-2 where it talked about the Sacrament and its importance in our lives. I received some revelation on how truly important it is to me and how I need to partake of the Sacrament so I can be blessed to be spiritually fed by the Spirit (or in other words I can prepare myself to receive the promptings I need to help me be a better person and better missionary). If there was anything that Bishop Hintze taught the most about while I was in Lewisberry, it was the Sacrament and how sacred and important that ordinance is. I learned a lot from BIshop Hintze. I'm finishing up Romans and it's been great. I mark my scriptures like crazy. lol